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Legco's public works subcommittee voted on July 2, 2013, to approve a HK$35 million study of a Tuen Mun landfill expansion in the New Territories. The move has been met with strong opposition from residents, and the district council says Tuen Mun has a disproportionate share of dirty facilities such as power plants and fuel depots. Plans for another landfill, in Ta Kwu Ling, has also been drawn into the controversy. The government withdrew plans for the Tseung Kwan O site amid strong opposition.

When Xu Qin met Carrie Lam they agreed to set up a joint team to investigate the impact of the fire at the landfill site. Photo: Sam Tsang

More than 50 additional Shenzhen lawmakers signed a petition against a proposed Hong Kong landfill expansion yesterday, after learning that Shenzhen Mayor Xu Qin raised concerns about the project to Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor last year.

The lawmakers joined about 200 Shenzhen Municipal People's Congress deputies who have already publicly expressed opposition to the Tuen Mun project. Their addition at the annual meeting of the congress yesterday means over half of the city's 404 lawmakers have signed the petition. "Everyone I met would like to sign up except those who were absent," said Shenzhen lawmaker Yang Qin, a leading opponent of the landfill expansion.

Yang launched the petition in November, after a fire at the landfill sent noxious smoke wafting north of the border. Yang hopes to get signatures from all the remaining lawmakers in the next two days of meetings.

Yang lobbied representatives at a panel meeting yesterday, citing Lam's pledge to continue with the project despite apologising for the November 8 fire.

Yang said Xu and Lam reached an agreement on November 25, when they met in Hong Kong, to set up a joint team to investigate the fire and its impact on Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

A source close to the Shenzhen government said Xu personally raised the concerns to Lam because of the pressure Shenzhen faced. "The Shenzhen government is also facing tremendous pressure," the source said. "Many delegates of the Shenzhen people's congress have collectively raised the issue.

"The Shenzhen government cannot ignore their voice. In today's China, if you don't listen to people's grievances and demands, they may take to the streets to express themselves and it will get out of control."

It was the first time in the source's memory that a Shenzhen mayor had taken issue with Hong Kong policy.

Yang said there had been no progress in setting up the joint meeting to investigate the impact of the fire.

In addition to lawmakers, the petition has been signed by 200 district-level representatives, dozens of influential industrial associations and more than a million Shenzhen residents. It would be the biggest public awareness campaign of its kind ever on the mainland.

Yang said they would also show the signatures to the central government at gatherings of the National People's Congress and political advisory bodies in March.

A spokesman for the chief secretary would not comment yesterday on whether officials from the two sides had met on landfill issues, saying it was not appropriate to disclose Lam's schedule.

Additional reporting by Cheung Chi-fai

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Pressure mounts in Shenzhen over HK landfill plans

Check mate
seems blinkered ENB ignores local comment but this has their attention & from what we hear, will escalate‘Shenzhen Mayor Dr Xu Qin, who is also a doctoral graduate of HK PolyU’
www.polyu.edu.hk/cpa/text/index.php?press_section=&press_category=All&press_date=&mode=pressrelease&Itemid=223&option=com_content&press_id=2143